The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-05-13
RUIN AND TERROR
In the Fatsd Province Of New Bruns-
wick.
Canoes, Boats and Rats In Towns
and Cities.
Food Destroyed and Starvation Be-
gins its Work of Woe.

most three weeks have elapsed since the
freshet in the st. John river began. it still
shows no signs Of abatement, and has now
assumed such proportions throughout the
province as to cause general uneasiness in
business and other circles. At st. John,
Fredericton and Woodstock, apart from the
direct loss caused by the disaster, enormous
loss has been occasioned by the cessation of
traffic oil the railroads and by the large num-
Der Of men who are thrown out of employ
ment. At the present moment, every saw
mill, with the exception of one>or two in
the neighborhood Of ST. John, are idle, and
their floors are covered with from one to
three feet of water. Even after the flood
subsidies 1t will be days, and perhaps weeks,
before work can be resumed
Last night the river rose about five inches
more, and has entered houses which were
lree from water before. All the houses In
what is known as Bugt0wn are inundated,
and the occupants have taken shelter on
nlgner ground. A new danger is threatened
Snoulu tne water rise another few inches.
ibis Is the overflow of the marsh, stretch
OF lowland five or six miles in length, ON the
outskirts OF the city, and which is covered
BY large number Of farmers dwellings and
factories: AT the present moment the river
is several feet higher than the level of the
ing over this territory is little knoll at a
place called Drury Cove, three miles from
the city. The water has now reached with
u " SIX inches Of the top Of this knoll, and if
the HOOD should continue for another day or
two, the inundation OF all the marsh is
looked upon as a certainty.
AT Riverside, on the International railway,
great waves are dashing over the track, and
it Is dangerous for the trains to proceed.
Wrecking trains are busy night and day
irving to nraVent the track from, haino oh
liberated.
At Rothesay similar state of affairs ex-
lists, and a large section OIL the track has
been washed out
Lakeside is completely under water.
The village of Hampton is under water in
some places to the depth OF f0uI feS...
On the New Brunswick railway large
section OF the track has been undermined,
and 1t is dangerous for trains to pass. Trans
fe-s are now being made.
A few miles further along the track
crssses the Oromocto river. On ordinary oc-
caslons this river is not more than 80 or so
feet wide. 1t has now swollen to such an
extent that the rails for the distance Of
mile and half are covered with water to
the depth of two feet. Passengers going
West have to be ferried over this inland sea.
AT Rusagornish, on the Fredericton
branch, there is an extensive washout, which
is daily increasing and which necessitates
another transfer.
The city of Fredericton is in a deplorabIe
condition. Last night it was in utter dark
ness. There is scarcely street upon which
there is not from one to 10 inches of water.
Every cellar is filed. A violent gale blew
all day yesterday, which made things far
worse. The officers square, where the
military men were wont to play tennis dur
ing the spring and summer in other years,
has now got two feet of water on it, and the
officers now amuse themselves by boat sail
ing on it.
A melancholy state of affairs prevails at
Sheffield, a village of wealthy farmers a
few miles below Fredericton. Every house
In the village except the Methodist parson-
age Is partly under water, and rise Of four
or fiye inches will bring it in there. In the
rest Of the houses it Is from few inches to
four feet, according to the height Of the
stand from the ground. Churches, school
houses, stores and post offices are all in
the same fx The greater part Of the horses
and cattle have been taken to the high lands
to save them, though many have been
drowned. In scores of houses entrance can
only be obtained through second story win
dows or through Skylights in roofs, and at
every house one or more boats or canoes are
70 De seen fastened to the caves or to the
upper windows:
From the mouth of the Nashwaak down to
the Jemseg, there is not more than au acre
OF land above water. Food Is being sent
down to the sufferers from Fredericton, as
nearly all the produce in barns and cellars
has been destroyed. As an instance of the
desperate straits to which the farmers are
driven to save their stock, a number OF
farmers have built floating RATS in their
barns, which rise with the flood, carrying
horses and cattle with them In some in
stances the flood has lifted the RATS until
the animals were squeezed against the roof,
and then 1t was found necessary to tear the
roof away
At Lincoln the people are in the same des-
perate straits. Over miles of rich intervale
huge waves are now sweeping, and many ISL
ands in the river, it is feared, have been en-
tirely obliterated by the force of the currents
At Georgetown the river has entered a
large number of dwellings and stores, but
the greater part of the town is out of dan
ger. In the vicinity of Woodstock mile
after mile of railroad is under water. and
traffic has n0wi been totally suspended for
over week. The condition of the people
\ who are thus shut out from the pale Of civil
izatiOn can only be guessed at
On the AroostOok branch miles of track
are also submerged and traffic is interrupted.
There has been no connection between st.
John and Bangor since the 30th ult., and all
mail matter and freight from and to the
West is now carried by the International
steamers Owing te the mills being idle
number Of vessels cannot get cargoes. and
some have been obliged to go away. Mil
lions Of logs have been swept out to sea.